The New, The Old and The Unexpected

It has been one week and a day since landing at JFK!  Celebrate.

THE NEW
Shopping, I have never done so much of it.  I needed suits and found two of them after walking around for less than 15 minutes because there are stores everywhere.  In this case I got them from a store I would typically not shop at in Seattle but in The City the store is nice with knowledgeable sales people who both intuitively knew what I was looking for and were able to get me what I requested.  It took less than an hour to identify the right fit, be measured, and make a few tie purchases before walking out of the store.  How fun!

Ethnicity is diverse here.  Seattle is VERY white.  I actually live in a neighborhood where I'm an ethnic minority.  I get nicknames all the time like "Mister", "Papi", and "Boss".  Such respect! ;-)  The grocery store where I shop has Spanish speaking radio playing and sales every ethnic food known to man.  The bakery includes matzoh balls along with the donuts.  It also has a good selection of certified organic foods. 

Laundry is done for me.  I dropped it off at the Laundromat today and negotiated when I would pick it up.  Since you pay for laundry regardless, it comes out to only a few dollars more to have them do it for you.   We'll see how the results look tonight when I pick up my clothes.  Fingers crossed there won't be any multicolored clothes that used to be solid colors.

People, they are everywhere.  You are never alone even in the suburbs.  No matter what time of night there are always people walking down the street or hanging on street corners.  This includes tourists who should be given a walking lane of their own so they can walk real slow, take photos, and not disturb the normal flow of traffic.

Clothes, I purchased my first pair of skinny jeans.  Please welcome me to the latest dying fashion.  I'm sure boot cut will come back next week and I'll be out of style again.  I was informed my skinny jeans are not tight enough anyway; oh well.  I don't want to be hipster.  

THE OLD
I am at a Starbucks drinking burnt coffee and using free WiFi.  See, some things never change!

THE UNEXPECTED
People, they are amazing and generous.  I have been overwhelmed with the great response people have given me about meeting for coffee even when we don't know each other but have a mutual acquaintance or friend.   Thank you all for making the e-troductions and networking suggestions that you have.  Everyone I have met has endeavored to help by connecting me with others, offering meaningful advice, or passing along my resume.   This has been a very encouraging process and has kept me well caffeinated.

Time.  Everything starts later here.  People go to work later (around 9am) and end the business day later (around 6pm).  They eat dinner later (between 8 and 9 pm generally).   Happy Hour is later (until 7pm).   Brunch is around 1pm. 

Music is everywhere.  The stores and restaurants play hip-hop or dance tunes.  It makes the city move a little faster I think.

There is a brief summary of general experiences from the week.  More detailed stories to follow.

Cheers from The City!